Tuesday, November 24, 2009

J.K. Rowlings' Effect on Our Language

Recently M. and I started to experiment with geocaching. Since our rural home is adjacent to national forest land and located just off a designated Scenic Byway, it is a fertile spot—there must be a dozen or more caches within five miles.

But what I noticed when reading geocaching sites and forums is that a particular term is used for people who are out and about but who themselves are not geocachers. It is important that the caches themselves be concealed from these people.

The term used for such people, of course, begins with "m."

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Bev said...

Knitters do it too. Famous knitblogger Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of "Yarn Harlot" fame began using it at least 4 years ago to describe people who didn't understand the fiber crafts subculture. Now every knitter I know refers to non-knitters as muggles.

9:24 AM  
Anonymous Chas S. Clifton said...

I think there is a universal rule operating here: "Everyone is someone else's muggle"

7:54 PM  
Anonymous Matt Gerlach said...

"Muggle" is indeed the new "mundane." I wait in horror for the inevitable "OMG, that's so muggle!" to develop...

2:42 PM  

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